Castleton Falls Short at Western New England

Springfield, Mass. - The Spartans started the game on a 5-1 run, but a late-game letdown sealed their fate as the squad fell to Western New England University 16-11 on Saturday in Springfield.

Amanda Flodstrom led the offense with four goals, while Sarah Clark and Mariah Lesure each notched two, and Brandi Whittemore earned a team-high three draw controls. Cori Healy led the defensive effort with five ground balls and four caused turnovers, while Meghan Els made 12 saves in net for the Spartans.

Castleton jumped out to an early lead, outscoring the Golden Bears 5-1 over the first 15 minutes of the game. The Spartan offense seemed to be clicking on all cylinders as five different scorers found the net in the rally. Western New England responded with two goals before Jennilee Mark put the Spartans up 6-3 with 6:08 remaining in the first half. The Golden Bears finished the first frame with three straight goals in the final three minutes to tie the game at 6-6 at halftime.

After the break, the Golden Bears notched three more unanswered goals to cap a 6-0 run, holding the Spartans scoreless for 15:52. Flodstrom ended the drought with a goal with 20:16 remaining, and Lesure followed with a score 20 seconds later to pull the Spartans to within one, 9-8.

Western New England turned up the intensity in the final 19 minutes of the game, outscoring the Spartans 7-2 during the final stretch of play. Kaitlynn Stevens notched three of her four goals in the second half as the Golden Bears closed the Spartans out 16-11.

The loss makes the Spartans 1-7 on the season after a challenging non-conference schedule. The squad will pick back up on Saturday, Apr. 6 when they host Thomas College in the team's North Atlantic Conference season opener at Spartan Stadium at 1:00 p.m.